Collapsible boat



L. E. TOWERS. COLLAPS| BLE BOAT- APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. 1921.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922;.

INVENTORQ lei/4'5 Z, .7

' ATTORNEY.

. all!!! Patented Nov. 7, 1922,

UNlTiZD STATES PATENT LEW'ISE. TOWERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN A.-

MOKINLEY.AND ONE-THIRD '10 LEE TERWILLINGEB, BOTH OF DETROIT, MICE-L IGAN.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs E. Townns, citizenof the United States, residing at Detroit, county of lVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain newanduseful I1n provement in Collapsible Boats; and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which "form a part of this specification.

An objectis to 'provide a simple, inex pensive type of collapsible boat of suitable, sturdy construction and easy of operation.

A further object is topro-vide aboat, the frame work of which is of such a character that it may be collapsed together and which frame work is provided with a flexible, outer covering or skin which will yield to conform with the relative change in position of the frame work.

A further. object is to provide a fabriccovered boat, the opposed gunwale sections of which are adapted to fold together and the floor of which is adapted to be tilted to lie insubstantially the same plane as the gunwale sections and keel.

These and other objects, together with details of construction, will more fully appear from he following description, appended claims and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of improved boat.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the joint between the keel and gunwale sections.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

My invention comprises a collapsible boat provided with a folding skeleton framework, over which is stretched a fabric or other suitable flexible covering a.

The framework comprises a keel Z), turned up at opposite ends to form the stem and stern, which keel is here shown as formed of hollow tubing into each open end of which is fitted an L-piece c, thehorizontal, extending arm of which L-piece is hollow and preferably rectangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 5. Vertical spacer pins (Z and'rl extend through the horizontal arm of this L-piece providing a pocket on each side thereof within which is received the ends of the opposite gunwale sections 6 and e which have a permitted longitudinally slidable movement within said (pockets. Each gunwale section is provided at the end received in the aforementioned pocket with a longitudinally-extending slot f through which passes a fixed pin 9, which pin is car ried by the L-piece 0. The gunwale sections are preferably made of resilient material so that they may bend outwardly in the middle, as shown in Fig. 2, when the boat is in the open position.

Each gunwale section carries a series of flexible ribs h which extend downwardly, but do not reach to the keel and may be turned slightly inwardly at their lower ends to prevent tearing of the outer covering of the boat. With the exception of the middle rib, these ribs are not secured to the keelbut are secured together in spaced relationship by means of a cable 2' extending from stem to stern. The middle ribs 72 are substantially larger than the intermediate ones on either side thereof and are secured at their lower ends to the keel by means of a flexible cable 70. These middle ribs are connected together in termediate their ends by a hinged thwart oradapted to break in the middle when. the opposite gunwale sections are folded together, being raised upwardly at such middle point. The proximate ends of the separate thwartsections are pivoted by means of a pintle m The outer ends of the thwart sections are pivoted to the ribs 72, by means of pint-lies m as shown in Fig. 3.

The separate thwart sections are adapted to be locked in the open position by means of a latch-bolt it carried in a recess formed .in one thwart section, which bolt is provided with a catch a by means of which the same may be retracted against the resistance of a spiral spring 0, which is adapted to hold the bolt outwards. When the bolt retracted the catch a may be engaged in a slot a so as to hold the bolt in the with drawn position. Vhen. the bolt is released to the action ofthe spring 0, and the thwart sections are open, as shown in Fig. 8, the bolt engages in a striker recess formed in the opposite thwart section and locks the separate sections together as shown in the drawing.

I provide a floor p pivoted at opposite endsby means of pintles g whichare mount ed for vertical travel in fixed links .or verticaily slotted uprightsv s so that the floor may be tilted. about said pintl-es, which 'pintles. have a permitted vertical movement of travel within the slotin the upright s to accommodate the floor to the opening and folding of the boat. v

A link t is pivoted at one end to one side of the floor, and at the other end, by means of a longitudinal slot within which travels the projecting end of theipint-le-m t0 the thwart sections at their hinge so that when thethwart sections are folded upwardly and together the floor tilts about the pintles Q. The thwart misadapted to also serve a seat.

It is apparent that oar locks might be provided as desired and that other improvements and variations in details of construc tion might bemadewithin the scope. of the specification and claims, applicant having illustrated merely the skeleton framework and outer covering of the boat.

lVhat I claim is: i

1. In a collapsible boat, a framework provided with a flexible outer covering, said framework comprising a keel provided at stem and stern. with a pair of adjacent sockets extending lengthwise the keel, opposed: resilient gunwale. sections, opposite ends of which are disposed in said sockets for slidable movement upon bending said gunwale sections to bow their middle portions outwardly, resilient ribs depending from i said gunwale sections, releasable means for holding said gunwale sections bowed outwardly from one'another at their middle.

2. A folding boat comprising a skeleton framework over which is stretched a flexible covering, which framework comprises a keel piece turned upwardly at the ends to form the stem and stern, gunwale sections of resilient materialhavingi slid-able connection with said stem and stern to move relatively thereto to permit flexing of; said gunwa-lesections to bow them outwardly intermediate their ends, athwart pivoted at opposite ends tosaid gunwale-sections and hinged intermediate its ends to fold upwardly between said gunwale sections.

8. The combination in a, boat provided with a flexible outer covering, of a framework therefor comprising a keel turned up at opposite ends and provided at each end with angularly projecting sockets extend ing inwardlylengthwise the keel, a pair of opposed resilient gunwale members opposite ends of which are received in said sockets for endwise. slidable, movement therein, a floor pivoted at each end to the keel for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, folding means interposed between, saidgunwale sections. at, their middle to hold them bowed outwardly from each other, linkage connecting said folding means with, said 1 floor to tiltthefioor to, a substantially hori- Zontal, position whenvsaid. folding means is unfolded to hold the said gunwale members bowed outwardly from each other.

In testimony whereof,.lfsign, this specifi cation. 1 a

LEWIS E. TOWERS. 

